Source: Review Copy via Author

Aaron Cooley’s The Guns of Ridgewood is a thought provoking new thriller and if you’ve never read any of his previous novels, you don’t know what you’re missing! Cooley is a favorite of mine and you’ll see why. We have really good characterization. Sour Manco is a broken man and I wasn’t sure what to make of him. I really enjoyed getting to know him and finding out about his past. You’ll easily root for him and while I hope we’ll see more of Sour in future books, I think he’s done telling his own story. We have a wide array of secondary characters that play a role including Jill, a former Army Ranger and a Congressman, Homer Blunt. Then we have our Congressional Killers, a trio of men who… Read more »

I’ve made no secret of my love for Kate Meader and her books! When she asked if I’d be interested in reviewing the first in her Tall, Dark, and Texan series, Even the Score, I couldn’t say no. And, wow-talk about pent up sexual attraction! You’ll definitely need a fan as you read. We have great character development. Tess McKenzie was born to a famous actress and had the life of privilege growing up. She’s not spoiled and works hard in order to make her own way in the world. Tess is feisty and protective of her friends. You can easily imagine hanging out with her and just having fun. I really liked her. And ladies, be prepared to swoon over Hunter Dade! He’s a man on a mission who… Read more »

In 2013, Jessica Lemmon wrote, If You Dare, a spooky novella where unrequited love and a bet was at the heart of the story. I really enjoyed it and my only big complaint was the length (I wanted more) because I wanted more of Marcus! Originally published by Entangled as part of their now defunct Flirt line, Lemmon expanded If You Dare and what we have is a full length novel. When Lemmon asked if I’d be interested in reading the new If You Dare, I couldn’t pass up the chance especially since there would be more Marcus! We have really good character development. I liked Lily and it was easy to associate with her. She’s hard working and goal oriented. She also has a no strict dating policy regarding… Read more »

I really enjoyed Aaron Cooley’s Shaken Not Stirred and when he asked if I’d be interested in reviewing part one of Four Seats, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity! If what I’ve read so far is any indication of what the rest of the book will be, then you’re in for a real treat! Four Seats will truly be one of your favorite summer reads and can’t be missed! We have a lot of characters who are vital to the narrative and Cooley doesn’t sacrifice character development. Our hero is Jason Lancaster and he’s also the government’s prime suspect. Lancaster’s resume is pretty impressive and I won’t go into detail, but it’s easy to understand why he’s on their radar. Known to be punctual, Lancaster is employed through the Supreme… Read more »

Last May, I read and reviewed Tanya J. Peterson’s Leave of Absence and it became one of my favorite reads of 2013. When Peterson asked if I’d review My Life in a Nutshell, I couldn’t say no because she has a talent for writing characters struggling with a mental illness and making the reader understand their inner turmoil. We have good character development. Our main character is Brian Cunningham, a brilliant man who is a school janitor and suffers from anxiety. You’ll easily come to love him and your heart breaks when he’s put in certain situations he has no interest in. Then we have an adorable girl named Abigail Harris who unfortunately hasn’t had the best life. She suffers from abandonment issues and easily attaches to herself people and… Read more »

I adore novels where one of the main characters is an author because it always gives the reader an insight to how an author views themselves (even if it’s on a subconscious level). So when I saw the synopsis for Melissa Foster’s Read, Write, Love, I knew I couldn’t pass it up! If you haven’t read Foster’s Love in Bloom or Remington series, it’s perfectly okay to delve right in. I haven’t read any books in the series and didn’t find anything that I would consider a spoiler. Character development is a bit weak. Our heroine is Leanna Bray and she’s a free spirit! Oh boy is she ever. I really liked her outlook on life and how she was cautious about saving the money she inherited. My problem with… Read more »

Pamela DuMond’s The Story of You and Me is your typical new adult romance novel: girl meets boy and both fall head over heels. Unfortunately, this one fell flat despite the author’s reason for writing this novel (which brought tears to my eyes when I read the author letter). Character development is a bit weak. We get to know Sophie fairly well, but she’s still keeping us at arms length. At times, she comes off as a bit of a ditz (more on that later) and I just had a difficult time actually liking her and couldn’t connect with her. Then there’s Alex, the hot guy that makes Sophie weak in the knees. The problem? I thought he was too sweet and a bit too perfect though he’s hiding a… Read more »

Amy Maurer Jones’ A Zebra Like Me is a touching story about a teenage girl suffering from a rare disorder and discovering how precious friendships can be. Maybelle Dawson is your typical teenager with one exception. She suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disorder that affects the body and can cause chronic pain and fatigue. Her grandmother doesn’t believe Maybelle and her symptoms. While Maybelle’s friends are mostly hers because of her cousin, she longs for her own freedom. Maybelle is about to get her wish and when a mysterious good looking boy moves to town, he shows her how awesome life can be and not to be afraid to try new things. We have good character development. Maybelle is our main character and through her we get to know everyone… Read more »

Jennifer Lane’s Bad Behavior picks up right where On Good Behavior left off. If you haven’t read On Good Behavior it is necessary to do so in order to understand why Sophie and Grant are in the position they are in. After Logan’s death and Carlo’s attack on Sophie and her friend, both Grant and Sophie attempt to leave the past behind. Both begin to attend regular sessions with Sophie’s psychologist, Dr. Hunter and with Hunter’s help they begin to overcome their own personal demons. While things begin to fall into place, they are dealt two unexpected blows. The first surrounds Grant’s nephew, Ben, and his attempt to keep him away from his Mafia family, but when Ben finds out what his father did to Sophie, Grant knows he has… Read more »

I enjoy reading parodies and when the opportunity came to review Lucy V. Morgan’s Tousle Me, I couldn’t pass up the chance! I’ve read a handful of New Adult books and the plots can be clichéd and the characters carbon copies of each other. We have good character development. I adored each of Morgan’s characters in Tousle Me. Our main heroine is Cammibelle Hicks, who like most New Adult heroines is a virgin. She’s also shy and doesn’t think she’s beautiful. Unlike our usual heroines, she has a unique hobby. She’s a book blogger! That’s right folks and I loved how Morgan incorporated this into her novel. Then we have Hunter von Styles who is your typical bad boy, but he’s a jack of all trades. Finally we have a… Read more »

I had a lot of fun reading Anna Bloom’s The Art of Letting Go and adored Ben Chambers. If you haven’t read The Art of Letting Go, it’s not necessary to enjoy The Saving of Benjamin Chambers. Firstly, can I take a moment to talk about the cover? I’m totally digging it and I really think it reflects Ben and what he stands for. Secondly, ah, Ben! He was loads of fun in The Art of Letting Go and I loved how his relationship with Lilah began. In The Art of Letting Go, we find out Ben and Lilah met at her office Christmas party, but we don’t know exactly how the introduction occurred. The Saving of Benjamin Chambers answers this as well another important question regarding a particular gift… Read more »

E.L. Farris’ I Run is an emotional journey as one woman tries to outrun her personal demons from the past and raise a family. As far as characterization, we have good character development. Sally is our main character and she’s married and a mother to three children. She’s been struggling since the accident and it’s easy to like her. There’s some personal trauma that she’s been trying to remember and yet can’t. Then we have her husband William who at times comes off as passive and I’m still trying to wrap my mind around him and what he thinks of Sally. We have a variety of secondary characters who play a vital role including Sally’s mother who is a first grade bitch. Then we have Sally’s friend Beth who has… Read more »